Tag Archives: TransLink

Right before the start of the Labour Day weekend, TransLink posted the salaries of its executives, board and employees who earned more than $75,000. Nestled at the end of this 74page report, a table was included to show the total compensation in 2013 received by the 7 members of the executive. The top wage earner was CEO Ian Jarvis at $468,015; executive Fred Cummings received the least at $321,736. Here is a part of the table from the report:

Previous statements from TransLink had suggested no increases in compensation were in order. Global News reported“TransLink chair Marcella Szel previously stated that executive pay had been frozen at 2012 levels and that no bonuses would be handed out.”

The Skytrain system recently saw two system-wide outages on the Expo and Millennium lines in July. The $171 million $194 million FareGate and Compass card system has been delayed indefinitely because of technical issues. The new system was supposed to be operational by the Fall of 2013. Hikes in fares were announced and privacy worries over the compass card system still need to be addressed. It appears that TransLink’s executives have many issues to resolve; they are also overseeing the construction of the Evergreen Line to Coquitlam. The report also showed that TransLink has $2.043 Billion of Total Net Debt.

The financial report published the salaries for employees earning more than $75,000 in 2013. The compensation for the Board of Directors ranged from $45,029 to $101,688 (for former chair Nancy Olewiler).

Payments to suppliers over $25,000 are also listed in the financial report. Vision Critical Communications Inc., the firm employed by the City of Vancouver for “Talk Vancouver” was a TransLink supplier and billed $63,980 for services. The Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition (“HUB“) received $160,470. Cubic Transportation Sytems Inc., the supplier of the problematic Compass Card technology, was paid $27,607,923.

A transit referendum might be up next year. Will the public have an appetite to raise taxes to provide more funding for transit?

TransLink plans to add a second platform beside the Expo Line tracks (Safeway side) and another overhead walkway and connection to the Millennium Line. There are no plans to add a direct exit from the Millennium Line to North Grandview Highway.